The Exegesis
by morpherkidvb
Summary: THE LAST CHAPTER- AND WORSE. The beginning of the end. And I'll tell you, the end scares me. I'm bumping the rating up to PG-13 for the last chapter which is kindof violent. Ok, I only the non-animorphs parts, so sue me.
1. The Application

Morpherkidvb

This is set approximately 50 years before the Hork-Bajir Chronicles. Die-hard Ani-fans may remember The Five from number 25. If not, they are the ones who destroyed the Venber. This is a story of them, The One, and how it relates to the 54 cliffhanger. It all starts with a young alien child…

The Exegesis

J-Sela 

J- Sela logged on to the z-net. There, in cyan letters, was the application he was about to send to the Intra-territory communications building. 

Full name: J-Sela 5

Home-day: 5.6.6431

Gender: Male

Second: M-Lonos 3

Experience: Part-day job as an _exliograph _assistant, 3 month training course with the Agency.

Generation: The Seven

Recommended by: K-Tonib, 3rd Level.

He looked at the information once more, making sure it was correct. Yes, there was his name, his home-day. His second, well, M-Lonos was pretty, and not lacking in intelligence, but just didn't think about her in that way. Well, maybe when he was older. Then it hit him full force. There wasn't going to be another Growing time. He was of age, was sending in the paper. Today he was a citizen. 

Hey, sorry this chapter's so short, it just felt like a stopping point. Don't worry, it gets longer and more interesting as it progresses.


	2. The Background

Chapter 2

Explanation

J-Sela's home world was called Sonij7. His society was built up on a feeble one, built up mainly on faith, superstition, and the truth that people don't talk widely about things they fear. Generations were numbered, and built with beliefs in predetermination, hereafter, and destiny. 

The first group of beings to arrive on the planet than called Red-49673 named it Sonij10. The people called themselves The Ten and set up the basis for a very strange hierarchy, with The Ten starting it. The next generation, they decided to name The Nine, and then The Eight, etc. They would be governed by a council; and the members of the council would be ranked by numbers, the supreme council leader would be the one whose rank number matched up with the generation number.) The number of people on the council also was the same of the generation number. (*Did that make any sense at all? *) So this flimsy culture did, in fact, worship the future generations, all building up to the day when The One would rule over the past. 

* * * * * * * * 

(This should really be a separate chapter, but the last one was too short)

Almost chapter 3
    
    J-Sela got up. He checked his notes, no news there. He sauntered out of the hatch, stepping out into the sunlight. A time cue flashed up on his digital, causing him to promptly ignore it and continue walking. He beat his wings to cool off, when the digital started to vibrate. He turned it on. The voice of his best friend, K-Cecum, echoed over the wires and reached his ear. "Hello, J-Sela? Did you forget?"
    "Excuse me?"
    "Donshen J-Sela! The Sloka!"
    Of course! The last formal meeting with his peer group and elders, and he was going to be late. He rushed back to his pod to get ready. He fluffed his wings, sharpened his claws, and even bleached some of his fur blond, as it was the style. He then logged out of the server and rushed out of the hatch without a moment to spare.
    He met K-Cecum and his other friends, X-Chesa, N-Lano, and A-Nancha. They talked about stupid things, like whether they had turned in the paper, what they did to get ready, what they thought the Sloka would be like. You see, no one was allowed to mention what went on in the ceremony; they weren't allowed to. It was a secret, almost holy thing that was an unbreakable custom. It was the only thing that had been kept the same since the days of the Ten. They turned right, gearing their wings to the right. Up ahead, the opaque gray dome of a council building loomed over them.
    J-Sela was full of anticipation, and a bit frightened. His skeptic nature caused him to always be wary, but, he thought to himself, what could go wrong at a Sloka? He shook his head. His society had no place for cynics. He pushed open the hatch and entered the building.
    


	3. The Defiance

Chapter 3- The Defiance  
  
They began by reciting The Ritual; a 30-minute long memorized droning of loyalty to the customs. J-Sela had never seen a point in it all, but it was tradition, so he, like the other 50 in his peer group, complied.  
  
"Anchen Kona. The One who is many. Anchen Sona. The One who is all."  
  
Then a musical instrument sounded. It rang out with such force that the dome itself shook. The Speaker announced, " We have chosen a person to me the honorable Inchan in the fire pit. We have selected this person to be the messenger to the One in the future of Sonij. This person is." A dramatic pause that made it seem as if the planet was splitting apart. "J- Sela 5!" As the applause started, the speaker's voice echoed through his head, and was soon mixed with his own thoughts. "No no no no! J-Sela 5! I can't die like this! The fire pit. No no." "But it is custom!" Another part of his head told him. "No no no."  
  
The applause died down and expectant eyes bore into him. Why wasn't the chosen one going to the elders? "NO!" J-Sela shouted. Gasps followed; the elders grew blue in the wing. "No!" He repeated, trying to convince himself. "I won't! It's pointless! Not only that, it's just plain stupid! What if the One will never exist? What will my life matter then?" One of the elders, J-Sela's culture instructor, answered, "It is insured by the fates, J- Sela 5. I command you do come here. NOW!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
And with that final word, pandemonium was spread and J-Sela slipped out onto the street.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
He couldn't go home, he realized, for they would be looking for him. He had defied the council, something that no one to his knowledge had ever done. He had disobeyed the custom of his society, thrown it into possible disarray. His peer group would not remember his as who he, was, but as a danger to the routine culture they had been born into. His second would be assigned a new mate. His application, it would have arrived at the Intra- Territory Communications office by now. A letter of acceptance (or rejection) would arrive at his lock and no one would pick it up. It would sit there and rot at the foot of the hatch, and he would never know if he had gotten his job choice. Night began to fall, and new thoughts entered his head. How would he survive? He had never been out of the inner city before and did not know how to survive on this own. He had stood up to death, and now he was to die out here in the Wilds? Panic ensued in J- Sela's head, and to add to his uneasiness, he began hearing slight noises in the brush. What were they? An old Sonijian with only one eye came up to him from nowhere and dug his claws into J-Sela's shoulder blade.  
  
"Another one, ey? Right then."  
  
J-Sela was too weary after a day of travel in no particular direction, so he fought down his thoughts of doom and let himself be led to a dugout in the ground.  
  
"You're one of us alright, yep. Come on, boy."  
  
The somebody trailed off, apparently haven forgotten that another being was in the cave. J-Sela helped himself to a hunk of Sina, and, having eaten it, fell asleep.  
  
Ah, suspense. It gets better, don't worry. 


	4. The Changing

Chapter Four  
  
The next morning J-Sela awoke not in a cave but in a factory-like building. Silver plating covered tubes that ran out of the ceiling and through the walls. As he watched, silver pods shot through them like bullets, making a whizz as they sped by. The old male rested his claw again on J-Sela's shoulder, but with a gentler touch than before. He was led to a corner where he slipped on a protective over-garment. Three young people came towards him, a male and two females.  
  
"I am Zenak, and these are Kona and Fena. Welcome to the base of the Masks."  
  
He young male who had introduced them motioned for J-Sela to follow him into a brightly-lit room on the far corridor. Once they were there and both were seated Zenak asked, " Well, what do you think?"  
  
This question so started J-Sela that he rocked back in his chair. He had never before been given permission to speak freely, certainly never asked to do so. Zenak smiled. "It's alright. It's a strange place." He went on. "We are the Masks, so called because these bodies." he looked down at his own fur, embarrassed, ".are not our true identity. We, like you, like broken the boundary of society and revealed the truth!" Zenak said these last words with such force, such passion, that J-Sela was started. Who were these people?  
  
"You can never go home. " Zenak carried on in a factual tone. "So you will stay here, among friends. We live in peace, except when we go on raid to spread our message. "  
  
Suddenly J-Sela blurted, " You are .terrorists?" He had heard of those who dare do harm to the council, and they're seemingly fitting punishments.  
  
"No. The terrorists you have heard are slaughterers. We are subtle, cutting communication lines, opening a window or two. We do not kill unless we are forced to. To date, we have never taken a Sonijian life. "  
  
J-Sela breathed. "Who was the male who brought me here?"  
  
"That was Wolaf. He is what we call a scout. He can somehow tell when a new Mask is 'born', and retrieves them. He is also commander when we go on raids."  
  
Zenak paused, considering. Then, " Now you are to take on a new name. Two syllables are in fashion now, but you may do as you wish. "  
  
J-Sela messed around with the letters in his name, finally finding nothing that suited him at all. But it came to him, as Zenak knew it would.  
  
"I have decided."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
The name he said with the same passion with which Zenak had said the word truth.  
  
"Li-shon!"  
  
  
  
* From now on, J-Sela's name will be Li-shon. And to add to the confusion, the next chapter takes place 20 years later. Now please please please review! I'm beggin' ya! * 


	5. The Coming

A.N- this is the beginning of part two. You won't get it unless you read part one. (Duh.) Some actual semi-FAMILIAR characters will appear in this part, so hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

Part Two

Chapter One

"Li-shon! Are battle stations open? "

"Yes sir! And the flight pods are ready for take off, sir!"

Zenak was preparing Sub-Commander Li-shon for a raid. Ever since old Wolaf had died in 6462, Zenak had been Commander. Unfortunately, with the changing of the Generation comes the changing of the council, and this one was more aggressive than the Seven had been. The Six seemed to have gone to new measures to ensure society, because the Masks were going on more and more raids. This one, for example, came because of the newly instated Z-net laws that stated that, A), The Z-net would only be used for teaching of the customs and news information, and B) that each citizen and each under-14 had to log on for at least one hour every day. 

So naturally, the Masks couldn't let that happen. 

As the pods warmed up, Li-shon went through the tactics in his head. The pods would land on the roof of the Z-net communicators' dome, and five Special Forces technicians, plus Zenak and himself, would enter through the top doors. The two master technicians would get to work on rigging the Z-net main files, while the others would beat the filter stream and take down the culture sites. 

"Li-shon!" 

He snapped to attention and put on his flight suit. It was silver, like the pods, but had dark and light tints so it could be used as camouflage inside a dome. He strapped himself in to tight spacecraft, trying to numb down his claustrophobia and not succeeding. His link flashed and he pushed the button. 

"Mas1, this is Mas2. Can you process?"

"All ready, Zenak." Li-shon had never gotten used to the Masks' strange radio lingo.

"And engaging sequence one. And…go!"

And a startling speed, the pod was sucked up the tube and was shot into space. Li-shon took over manual controls and dropped out of sync with the others. 

The gray dome was silent as the pods uncloaked and landed on the roof. Waiting for the signal, Li-shon prepared himself for what he was about to do. 

"Hello? Li-shon? Do you process? "

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just tired."

"Let's go!"

Infiltration was surprisingly easy, as Li-shon commented to Zenak as they flew down.

"I know," he answered. " An Under-14 could take this place. Donshen!"

They were the only ones in the chamber. No guards, no security. The head tech grumbled about insects as she worked, but besides that, there was silence. A long shot away from the paranoia of The Seven, thought Li-shon. Still… something bothered him. He just didn't quite know what.

"Mission accomplished!" announced Loza, the new technician. She laughed. _First raids were always fun, _thought Zenak_._

Then, one of the insects began turning blue. Another began growing huge legs out of his abdomen. Two eyes popped out of a third. And in less than two minutes, three magnificent creatures stood in the room. They had many fingered hands and no claws. No wings, but an amazing tail that curved and ended in a blade. Four eyes, two of which that were on horn-like stalks, and blue fur. 

Which of you is the leader? One of the strange beasts said, but didn't really say. 

Boldly, Li-shon answered, " I am." 

A flash of light, and Li-shon's eyes fluttered closed. 


	6. The Dreaming

Chapter Six

Li-shon awoke to the sound of strange voices, and…the unspoken voice of the blue creature. Suddenly the voices came into focus. 

"This is insane!" an annoyed male voice exclaimed. Li-shon had no way of knowing what 'insane' meant, but he guessed it meant 'bad'.

"Come on, Marco! We have to do this! I can't believe you…" 

The voices faded out as… They are called Yeerks… Another different blue creature was 'speaking' to the humans he had seen earlier. A light was in the sky, it was growing larger…"

A boy was trapped in a small room and was talking to…the One? But…

A black sky filled with lines, constantly starting and fading away. A shadowed figure appeared in the form of a Sonijian, but different somehow… 

"This is the timeline you have created."

As Li-shon watched, he saw his own line cross another's. The line with which his had crossed came with another and sprouted two more lines. One of these lines came together with a far away line, which sprouted a new line and then burst. The latter crossed with the former, along with four other lines. Then, a brilliant flash and Li-shon woke up.


	7. The Andalites

Chapter Seven or something (I've lost count)

When he opened his eyes, the first thing Li-shon noticed was that he was alone. The hollow silence echoed throughout the room and filled Li-shon with despair. 

He was in a spacecraft, he noted vaguely, no longer caring. He had let down his only friends, the Masks. No one could save him. He…

One of the blue creatures walked daintily in, and then stumbled. _So much for the high and mighty act._ thought Li-shon. The alien spoke telepathically to him, transmitting ideas like a computer. 

We are the Andalites. 

Li-shon answered with a stony silence. 

We come in peace 

"You've got a funny idea of peace, Andalite. "

My name is Noorlin-Sinrinial-Cooraf. Don't worry. The bindings are simply for protection 

Li-shon now noticed the bindings holding him to the chair.

Please talk. 

The Andalite seemed in desperate need of someone to converse with, so Li-shon decided to humor him.

"Ok, Noorly. I'll talk. What do you want ta know? "

Please call me by my correct name, Sonijian 

"I am not a Sonijian!"

This startled Noorlin, but he collected himself enough to say, Do not lie to me. You are a Sonijian. And I would like to hear your name, as I have politely stated mine. 

Now it was Li-shon's turn to be startled. Until his last sentence, he had put on his best 'tough aggressive male' attitude and still this alien youngster had talked him down. 

So the story came gushing out, and by the end of an hour, Noorlin and Li-shon were on real name terms.

An older Andalite entered the room. 

Aristh Noorlin! 

Yes sir? 

Refrain from talking to the enemy, unless you wish to cut off you tail blade and go join them. 

Yes sir. 

"So you're just a lowly warrior?" Li-shon taunted.

Noorlin looked embarrassed. He tried to follow his orders of silence, but couldn't help himself. 

An _aristh_, actually. 

"A what?"

A warrior in training. 

Li-shon was going to make a (rude) remark, when a very large Andalite swaggered in.

Sonijian, come with me. Aristh, you are dismissed. 

Once they had entered another chamber, the commander demanded of Li-shon, You attacked members of your own species. Explain. 

So Li-shon explained.

The commander looked stunned. He muttered, Why can't we encounter a nice, peaceful species? 

The commander had meant it as a rhetorical question. 

But Li-shon answered for him. 

"Because they don't exist." 


	8. The Ally

Chapter Eight 

So you and these Masks are trying to destroy this civilization? Noorlin was again on the dead boring job of guarding the alien prisoner. 

"Not so much destroy as reform. "

Ahh. 

Noorlin had taken a liking to this alien. Li-shon subconsciously reminded Noorlin of himself, his wise-aleck, determination and strength. Li-shon, Noorlin decided, was someone who needed an extended hand but would never admit it, as he had found this life of unified solitude so desirable. 

So when the time had come for the 'prisoner' to be released, Noorlin handed Li-shon a communication device and said, If you push this button, the Andalite will come to your aid. But only once. After that the High Council may become annoyed. 

'And the High Council can go to _Kliden_, ' Li-shon thought. But he put the radio into his pouch. 'Maybe one of the technicians came do something with it,' he laughed to himself. 'Uh huh. Right. ' 

He flew off back to the base, not knowing that this meeting altered the entire timeline.

Li-shon sighed. Again, he had had to explain a story to people and hadn't really felt like talking. But he had, as he must. 

Zenak had been thrilled. "An ally! " He had exclaimed. 

"Not really. " Li-shon had countered. "More like a shaky friendship between me and some Andalite ensign. Not really a victory. "

"We'll see. Where's the transmitter?"

" Right here. But I'd like to keep it with me, if that's O.K. "

"Fine, whatever you say, kid. "

A.N. – Ok, guys. It's developing, isn't it? Do you understand it so far? If not review. If so, review. You know the drill. Let's go. I'll continue it anyway because I happen to like it, but I need typing motivation. 


	9. The Prisoner

Chapter Nine

Z-net link disruption, take two.

As it turned out, the Mask's scouts had discovered, the program that should have terminated the Sonijian software was disrupted by Andalite Shredder fire and the Z-net was still up and running.

So the Masks had to do the same thing again.

"Funny, this seems oddly familiar, " Joked Zenak.

"Yes. " Li-shon's mind was concentrating on the task ahead, as Zenak noted. _A good trait in a fighter. Maybe he'll really amount to something more than I expected. _

Again, the software was put in place. 

Again, the simplicity of it all surprised and worried Li-shon. 

And again, he was right.

A lavishly dressed Sonijian strutted into the room. 

He in turn ordered in 20 more armed Sonijians. They entered full scale, announcing their presence with no want for stealth. Each Sonijian bowman took a strategic position where any two Archers could take out any Mask at any time. The grandiose leader boomed, " You are captured, Masks. Do not attempt escape. That, obviously would be fatal, and I want you all alive unless absolutely necessary. "

The look in the chieftain's eye told Li-shon that he meant what he said.

"You, " He pointed to Li-shon, "And you, " He pointed to Zenak, "Come with me. " To his minions he barked, " Bring the others along behind us. Do not let any Mask escape!"

As Li-shon walked calmly over to the headman he couldn't help wondering, '_How will they cover this up?_ The Z-net cameras were still running above them. 

His attitude quickly changed, however, when he saw all the young Masks being led out of the Z-net chamber and into the hallway. At arrow-point. _'Shameful. Only one of my first raids as co-commander and I let my followers down. How could I…' _

His thoughts were interrupted by a fit of coughing. He recovered, but while he watched, the head guard signaled to the archers with a quick motion. Faster than Li-shon's eyes could follow, 2 arrows shot into Zenak's back. He bent over and slumped onto the hard stone floor of the hall. The two archers slung their bows into their packs and stepped over the limp body of Li-shon's greatest friend. Behind them, Li-shon could hear the servants carrying Zenak. Every few seconds he caught the scraping of his companion's claws on the concrete. _"Scratch, screechhh…_

Two identical new chambers came into view, and for a moment, Li-shon couldn't tell what they were. They were carved into the wall in the middle of the hallway and placed 20 Ponses (30 feet) apart. The inside of both was desolate, save a counter and a pallet. One jug of water rested on the counter and that looked like it had been sitting there for months. The head officer ordered Li-shon to the second chamber. Remembering Zenak, resentfully yet obediently, he entered, head hung in total mock deflation. 

To Li-shon's surprise, the male followed him into the room and handed him a green outer garment with no pockets. "Here, put this on. " Seeing Li-shon was casting an overwhelmed expression, he soften about one hair and explained, this is your holding area. You will stay here until we see it fit to leave. " Li-shon could see that. The opening was barred and there were no windows. It was very dark and no light could come through except through the bars from the already dimly lit hallway, but Li-shon could still read the inscriptions sewn into the fabrics. They were rituals of some sort, and he wondered if he had once known them but had forgotten in the long years that he had been a Mask. But, no, these were new, and strange. There was one for waking, one for eating, another for addressing an officer. He registered again the time he had been gone. These must be simply some new order set in place by the Six. It was strange though. No other generation to his knowledge had been so radical as to make any drastic changes in the ancient rituals. 

Li-shon put the green garment on, casting his old clothes aside. Strangely, the guard snatched these away from him and tucked the old things under his arm. Li-shon tried to sort out why this guard had any interest in his old clothes, but tired as he was he could think of nothing at all, much less analyze motives of unknown forces.

But it struck him in a flash as the guard started to brief him on his position as a prisoner. They were going to check his old attire for any weapons or possessions. And when they looked, they would find… It hit him in a flash…the Andalite transmitter!

A.N- Ok, Noorlin will appear again soon, so if you want to put suggestions I haven't written that part yet… Also- As always- Review! I am VERY nice to those who do so…HINT HINT NUDGE NUDGE! 


	10. The Transmission

Chapter Ten 

A.N.-Right, I'm uploading faster so I can finish this part of the story, only a few more chapters to go until Part Two (A separate story but kind of a sequel), which will explain The Five. I haven't written it yet, so suggestions are always welcome. 

Li-shon woke up the next morning with a very sore wing blade on his left side due to actually sleeping on the hard pallet. He did not stoop so low as to wash with the filthy water on the counter, but he combed his wing feathers and fingered his fur. He then strode to the bars and decided to talk to the guard. "Have you figured it out yet?" he taunted, trying out his insane voice. The guard jumped to attention. "What?" he demanded. "Oh, nothing! " laughed Li-shon, giddily enjoying tormenting this sentinel. 

Hearing footsteps, Li-shon assumed a casual stance instead of the attentive one required in the rulebook. 

But the officer who approached was already too enraged to discipline Li-shon for such a 'trivial matter'. 

He held up a small silver device with two buttons. "What," he raged, "is THIS?!?"

With an air of great astonishment (which anyone could tell was fake) he said, " I, I don't know what you're talking about, sir. "

"Yes, you do you idiot Mask! Tell me! What is it?!?" 

"Well…" he said, " It's…"

"YES?!?!"

"It's a link to my base!" Li-shon said quickly, slurring the words together. "You simply press this button," he pointed to the red symbol on the transmitter. "And a hundred of my troops will come to rescue me." Then, assuming a beaten-but-still-hopeful tone, "They will pulverize you! They will crush you and rescue me and my friends!"

"I assume you don't realize, Mask, " his captor sneered, "that if you call your 100 men, my 1000 men will crush them in to a thousand bits and blast them into oblivion! (AN- sorry Obi-wan!) And that will be the end of your little band of misfits. And you…you can watch. What then, my little hostage?"

The guard laughed giddily, a gesture that made Li-shon doubt his captor's sanity. But the button on the transmitter was pushed, an action which would lead to the death of an entire species. 

So, Li-shon blubbered and pleaded and cried, but he couldn't help triumphantly praise himself, for in exactly one hour and 23 minutes, the entire squadron of Andalite military spacecraft would land and, he hoped, give him some assistance. 


	11. The Journey

Chapter 11- the beginning of the end

A.N.- Sigh. It's getting there. Thanks to all that reviewed, the climax of part one is coming soon-whenever I find the rest of my manuscript.

The call echoed through to the Andalite Dome ship 3.2 light-years away. It sounded directly to the captain's quarters, whom, without consorting with his T.O or anyone else jumped to the main computer interface and made contact.

To all members of the Andalite military- report to the bridge immediately. Arisths… 

On the other end of the ship Noorlin's hearts skipped a beat…

…Report also. Now! 

Noorlin jumped up and grabbed his gear. He was eager, as one would naturally assume, but, of course, he was simply one of many arisths bustling to get to the bridge. In fact the corridor was so crammed with Andalites that those who wanted to actually move in the huge mass would have had to fly.

Noorlin got to the bridge at the last minute, jostled and exhausted. Orders had already been given, and because of his slow arrival, he was given 4th spot in a 3-person fighter. 

But even in his weariness the feeling of being with full-grown warriors frightened him, giving the short horrible journey to Sonij 6 a small dose of adrenaline. 

So the Warriors left to go be heroes. 

But Andalites are known as a race of people who tend to be fashionably late, and, even with faster than light space travel, the Andalites did what they will have done to Earth, and what they had done to the Hork- Bajir- arrived late. 

Too late. 

AN-So it's short. Sue me. I'm typing from memory here, OK? 


	12. The Transformation

Most probably the last chapter of this part.

A.N. – This isn't what I had hoped for, but it'll still make you think about…everything.

Zenak was in pain.

The Six screeched into his ears, " MASK!!!!! Answer me! Where is the base of your troops?!?!! " 

An arrow from the quiver of a bodyguard was given to Zenak's torturer. The old Sonijian drove the arrow slowly into Zenak's exposed chest. 

"Do you need help?!?" The enraged male yelled. "Maybe this will convince you to reveal your secret! "

And Zenak screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

****************************************************

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The tortured scream of his best friend reached Li-shon's ear. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And with that, the last remaining neurons of sanity left Li-shon and he snapped.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

With a war cry as fierce was the ones shouted by his primitive ancestors, he leapt to the cage bars and battered them with his bare fist. Amazingly, the iron fell onto the floor, but Li-shon failed to notice in his mad wild warpath towards Zenak. He had taken down the guards before they had time to loose a single arrow. Doing something that was only possible to do if you thought you could do it. Thinking something that you only thought when you were out of your mind. 

But his own hidden terror had its advantages.

His bloodwrath led him to the room where Zenak had been tortured. 

Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked saggingly into the chamber. Casually, but with the air of an untouchable person, he strutted up to a guard. The arrows and quiver were soon separated from the sentry, and with only one other guard in the chamber and Li-shon holding the only other weapons, they were at a stalemate. 

Li-shon found Zenak behind a large chair, his body crumpled on the floor. 

Slowly, Li-shon, the battle scared warrior, knelt behind his friend. 

An archer raised his bow… and then lowered it, watching the moment with interest and curiosity. 

Zenak's pulse was faint, and Li-shon whispered it his ear," Hey Zenak, " He sobbed, " remember… remember when I first came and I asked if the Masks were terrorists and you said…" Li-shon choked and remembered that day, long ago… " No, that we had never taken a life? Well, Zenak… 

I just did. So what does that make me? "

Zenak died then; never able to answer the question that would burn inside Li-shon for the rest of his life.

Stony-faced he turned to The Six and boomed, " Open all Z-net links! " When the consul hesitated… 'Now!" 

The communication screen came on, and he opened a live channel. 

"To the citizens of Sonij… 

The Six has been defeated.

The tyranny has been overthrown.

You have been oblivious, living in a sheltered but corrupt society.

And so I say to you now…

Citizens of Sonij…

You are free. "

The old counsel member died of shock and old age in the back of the room as Li-shon, neither triumphant nor remorseful, turned and walked out of the room, out of the building, out of society, out of life, forever.

SERVUS VOVIT, LIBER SOLVIT


End file.
